


Sibling Rivalry

by Sia



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Mass Effect
Genre: AU of an AU, Cullen doesn't romance Shepard, F/M, Gen, I hate plotbunnies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-07
Updated: 2017-03-07
Packaged: 2018-09-30 13:33:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10164083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sia/pseuds/Sia
Summary: Cullen Rutherford and Meghan Shepard are half-siblings saving the galaxy together.If they don't screw this up, that is.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, this started as a writing exercise to get back in the mindset for /Loved./ It didn't /quite/ work. Instead, I ended up with this plot-bunny. I have no idea where it's going, but I'll see where it leads for now. It'll be updated as sporadically as everything else I write.

Meghan Shepard stared at the watery-blue QEC image of her older half-brother.  “Hey, Asshole,” she growled gruffly at him before he reached over to turn off the display.

“Yes, Pain the Ass?” his fancier schools managed to make him sound far more refined, despite the fact she was certain she was smarter.  He straightened up, tugging on the hem of his dress blues.  

“How’s Hackett really doing?”  She crossed her arms and leaned back on one leg.

He rubbed the back of his neck and glanced behind him.  “He’s not sleeping nor eating.  We haven’t heard from The Old Man in 48 hours.”

Meghan felt the blood drain from her already pale face.  “Shit.”  They'd called Anderson "the Old Man" since he first started mentoring them over a decade ago.

“How’s um… How’s Liara?”  He rubbed the back of his neck and looked down.

Meghan heard the asari clear her throat behind her.  Her half-brother had met the archaeologist last year when they were stuck taking out the Collectors. _And finding my body._  He’d had to pull his head out of his Cerberus-infested ass, first, though.  “She’s fine.  You can talk to her in a minute.  The Old Man?”

He shook himself.  “Hackett’s sending me to Earth in a few hours with reinforcements.  I’m to find Alenko’s students and use them to track down Anderson.”

Meghan smirked.  “Well… since you’re the second-best L2 I know….”

“Not everyone can die and be remade, Sis.”

“Just cause you’re jeaous….”

He snorted, shaking his head.  “Did Vakarian or Alenko tell you’re cute or something this morning?  Don’t answer that.  I don’t need to know.  Hackett would like me to ask Liara and Alenko if they have any idea where the biotics might be.  Anderson could use some heavy hitters.  Other than me.”

“Well… your girlfriend’s right here.  I’ll ‘fetch’ Alenko for you, Major.”  Meghan turned to leave, Liara’s blue eyes fixed on the hologram, her brother’s eyes glued to the asari’s face.  

“Meg?”

“Cullen?”  She turned to see him wrench his eyes from the alien woman’s features. 

“Watch yourself.  None of this means shit without my little sister around at the end.”

“Ditto, big brother.”


	2. Chapter 2

Bloody hell.  Meghan was right.  And it killed him to admit that.  That his baby sister, modern mythological figure though she’d become, was bloody _right_.  Cerberus had proven itself evil enough in trying to manipulate her and in going after Liara, but now?  To try to take out the Citadel?  Take it over?  Because the end of civilzation wasn’t enough?

“Shepard to Rutherford.  Wake up, jerkface,” he nearly jumped out of his armor at the sound of her subvocal in his ear.

“This is Rutherford.  Do you have to be such a brat?  Are you at least on a secure channel?”  he demanded, crouching down behind a planter when the Atlas’ guns pointed his way, but blessedly, didn’t fire.

He could almost hear her eyes roll.  “Of course, I’m on a secure channel.  Vakarian and Alenko are both better at this than you are.  You might be a Sentinel, but Alenko’s cuter and smarter.”  Cullen rolled his eyes.  He heard his fellow L2 chuckle.  “Liara and Tali are headed your way.  Radio Silence, of course.  What’s your twenty?”  

Just then, the Atlas opened fire and Cullen had to flatten himself, lower than even the planter allowed for as the subsonic projectiles began chipping away at the plascrete.  “Can’t answer right now.  Little busy!   Just follow the explosions!”

Vakarian’s voice rumbled over the comm, “He’s definitely related to you.”

Meghan laughed.  “Hang tight, brother dear.  The girls are coming to save your ass.  Wouldn’t want to add to your scar collection.  Krogan women might start finding you attractive!”  

He ducked out long enough to aim an Overload at the Atlas. It would only slow the damned thing down, but it would at least give him time to sprint for better cover.  “What, no insults about at least some women finding me attractive?”  He demanded, as he skidded to a stop behind a wall and pulled out his grenades.  He needed to time the explosion with a warp field to maximize the armor damage.  He’d only get one chance…. 

“That would be an insult to Liara.”  There was the disquieting sound of gunfire on her end and Meghan’s grunt of pain.  

“Meg?”

“Fuckers got lucky.  Alenko’s got it.  Vakarian’s not letting anything through.”  He could almost see her throw her head back against a wall, Alenko working furiously to stanch whatever blood loss she was suffering, Vakarian’s watchful eyes defending them.  Meghan had a good team.  The best.  She was always was better with people than he was. “Watch your ass, bro.  Liara’s almost there.”   

“I’m not the insane Vanguard who likes to write credit vouchers my body can’t – S _hit._ ”  The curse was almost mild compared to the heart-stopping panic he felt as the bottom dropped out of his stomach.  As he readied the grenades a sniper’s red laser appeared aimed firmly at his center mass.  If he dove out of cover, the Atlas would nail him.  But if he didn’t, the sniper had him dead to rights.  His tech armor was the only reason he hadn’t been shot yet.  It wouldn’t go through, so why waste the heat sink when all you had to do was wait for the power to run out?  He checked his readouts.  Of course, the timer was running down.  Fast.   _Fuck_ Cerberus.   _Oh, Liara. I wish we had more time_..

“Cullen?”  There was a frantic note in his sister’s voice.  

“Meg – Just want you to know…”

“No!  Don’t you fucking say it!  They’ll be there!  Don’t you say it!”

_5…_

_4_ …

“It’s been an honor, Sis.”

“Cullen, don’t you fucking…”

 _2._ …

“I love you…”  He closed his eyes, waiting for the impact of the bullet or the Atlas.  Either one.


	3. Chapter 3

The Atlas exploded.

He barely had time to blink in surprise before he found his arms full of asari and he was knocked off his feet, their trajectory taking them behind another wall out of reach of the sniper.  The familiar cool, still water of Liara’s biotic signature washed over him and he tightened his arms around her, burying his face in her neck.

When he finally pulled back, Liara’s wide blue eyes blinked at him from above.  “Hi.”  He felt an answering grin tug at his lips and slid his hands up to caress her shoulders, grateful to feel her, to still feel anything, even through the thick gloves.

“Hi.”  

“We were in the neighborhood.  Heard you were throwing a party.”  She gave him that shy smile that made his heart skip a beat.  

“I tried to hold out for you, but you know Cerberus.  No manners at all.”  

“I’ve noticed.  Are you injured?”  She moved to run her hands over his torso.

“Could the romantic reunion wait a little while?” Tali demanded, crouched behind a planter a few meters away. “Cerberus just can’t get enough.”  She held her arm out and her ‘tool flared with the short burst of an overload.

Cullen chuckled.  “After you, Love.  I believe they’ve requested a Singularity.”

Liara cocked her head, not quite understanding right away as she climbed off of him.  “What?  Oh!  Yes, of course!”  It never ceased to amaze him how smoothly she moved into a mnemonic.  Comparatively, he and Alenko, even Meghan and every other biotic of his acquaintance were awkward puppies. 

Liara was pure grace and power.

And death.  

He pulled himself to his feet to finish off the survivors caught in her gravity well. Static buzzed loudly in his ear.  “Rutherford, report!”  He winced at his sister’s demanding voice. 

“I’m right here.  Liara and Tali made it in time.  You won’t be going to _my_ funeral.” He couldn’t help the snide reminder of the emotional agony of her empty casket two years ago.

“Will you let that go?”  He heard Vakarian’s and Alenko’s chuckles on the comm.

“He’s got a point, Shepard,” Alenko told her.  

“As long as she doesn’t do it again,” Vakarian drawled.  

“We have Williams.  Udina has been neutralized and the Council is secure.”  Her voice was irritated.  He grinned.  “Proceed to the cafe, Matriarch Aetytha is pinned down and has requested assistance.”  Cullen’s grin fell as he met Liara’s panicked eyes.  Tali let out a string of curses in quarian his translator didn’t quite catch. “We will rendezvous with you as soon as possible.  Shepard out.”


End file.
